


Every Breath You Take

by Belsmomaus



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Pepperony - Freeform, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Romance, Tony Stark Has A Heart, at least a teeny tiny bit, birthday fic, oh yes he does, very light
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-30
Updated: 2016-06-30
Packaged: 2018-07-19 06:48:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7350238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Belsmomaus/pseuds/Belsmomaus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pepper is mad at Tony.<br/>And Tony?<br/>Tony is full of surprises.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Every Breath You Take

**Author's Note:**

> Ever since watching this video on youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO_sakIdUjw) I just couldn't get it out of my head.
> 
> This is what came of it!
> 
> (Takes place a few weeks after "Age of Ultron" - no, it's not my favorite MCU-movie, but it's the perfect timing for this little story in my opinion.)

 

_Finally!_

Pepper let out a sigh of relief as she saw the doors of the elevator close from across the hallway. Even the people she’d hired to attend the cloakroom had finally left. The party was officially over.

Never again would she host a Stark Industries event – be it a gala or a fundraiser like this one – on her birthday. Never. Again. Not even if it were the only possible date left.

She tilted her head to each side for a few seconds, stretching the tense muscles in her neck. She longed for some quiet and peace now. And getting out of her heels. Damn, she really, _really_ wanted to put her feet up. Preferably into Tony’s lap to get a foot rub. But she was too much of a realist to know that that wouldn’t happen.

Anyways, she was still pissed at him.

Sure, forgetting her birthday wasn’t a big deal, not for Tony. He’d never remembered the date, not once in all the time they’d known each other. Not even since this thing between them had gotten serious. Not without prompting from outside sources, anyway. So, she wasn’t really surprised. No, that wasn’t the point.

But with practically all of their guests making an effort to get a chat with the “birthday girl” how could he have _not_ noticed? She didn’t expect a grand gesture, but a simple “happy birthday, honey” wasn’t asking too much, right?

Okay, she might have been able to overlook that – a skill you certainly need on some levels with a man like Tony Stark. No, she was far more angry that he’d left her all on her own. She’d barely seen anything of him at the whole event. The whole bunch of more or less important people constantly surrounding her to relay their good wishes hadn’t helped either - she could’ve really, _really_ done without the press announcing the coincidence of her birthday with the fundraiser.

They were supposed to be a team. Partners. In business and in their private lives.

She was good at handling people, but especially when it came to noisy, much too private questions Tony was so much better at handling stuff. And even if some people refused to acknowledge boundaries, he could get away with the rudest replies just by turning on that innate charm of his and flashing that cheeky, boyish grin.

But he’d left her alone.

On her birthday.

_Just like all the other days this last week._

No, she wasn’t going to think about that! And certainly not right now!

She was mad at him after all.

_Shit!_

_Too late._

It was back again, that cold feeling of dread, nagging away at her insides.

Heaving another sigh she blinked away her exhaustion with way too much practice. Successfully, at least for the moment. Heels clicking she headed back into what Tony called “The Party Floor”. It was a whole floor of the tower redesigned to hold parties or fundraisers, well, practically anything that involved lots of people and entertainment. After the whole Ultron disaster Tony hadn’t been able to bear the thought of hosting people at the same place that Ultron had first attacked them only shortly after the whole area had been filled with guests. Tony barely went up there on a good day, so…

Most of the lights were already shut off as she entered. The small stage where the band had played was shrouded in darkness just like the dance floor in front of it. The area around the bar on the other end of the room was also hidden in blackness, just the sitting area to her left, lowered two steps into the ground, and the adjoining bar were still illuminated by a warm and unobtrusive light.

The Avengers were scattered all over the white leather couches that put more emphasis on style than comfort.

Pepper wasn’t exactly surprised and yet she was annoyed as well. It had been a long night, for her more than anyone and as much as she usually liked these little afterparties and the easy camaraderie she wasn’t in the mood tonight. Especially since Tony wasn’t among them.

He wasn’t anywhere within sight.

And that annoyed her even more.

And worried her.

First New York, then the Mandarin fiasco and now Sokovia. Each and every one of those incidents weighed heavy on him. Each for different reasons. But where the aftermath of the Mandarin and Extremis had brought them closer together, the whole Ultron thing pulled him away from her. The nightmares were back full force. He avoided sleeping just as much as he avoided talking. It was nothing new and yet she’d hoped they were past this.

Well, she’d hoped they were past disasters like Sokovia in the first place. That by “shaving it down a bit” he’d meant he wouldn’t risk his life every opportunity he got. Of course that had been stupid and naïve.

This was Tony. He’d always jump right into danger to protect people. To protect her. It was part of why she loved him so much.

Because he cared.

He cared so damn much that it was killing him right now.

This last week it had turned worse. He’d been distracted, kept out of conversations, even missed opportunities to tease his friends. Mostly he’d kept to himself, barricaded in his workshop.

One night. That was the whole amount of time he’d spent in their bed at her side this last week. Yes, he’d been holding her and kissing her forehead when lying down to sleep but he’d been miles away nonetheless.

He was shutting her out. Avoiding her on purpose. And sometimes she felt his eyes on her, following her movements and there was this deep crease on his forehead and that _look_ in his eyes. It always made her skin crawl. As if he was contemplating if there even was a point to what they shared. To their whole relationship.

She knew he thought he didn’t deserve her.

And she knew that he – genius or not – _really_ believed that. It made her sick that he thought so low of himself. Sick and worried. So damn worried. Because he pulled away and she didn’t know how to keep him from slipping through her fingers.

And now he was gone again.

Again!

She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d caught a glimpse of him at the party.

“Have you seen Tony?” she asked the group, currently engrossed by a story Sam was telling. She didn’t even feel sorry for interrupting him.

“Um, no, not really,” Sam offered.

Clint shrugged. “Last I saw him Senator Kirby was chewing his ears off.”

“He was heading for the elevator a while ago,” Natasha said. “Probably fled the party. People aren’t exactly his thing these days.”

Pepper had a hard time biting back on an acerbic reply. The angry fire in her stomach sparked off anew. What was wrong with them? They called themselves Tony’s friends and yet they either hadn’t noticed his absence or they had and didn’t care enough to follow him and check up on him. And that _although they knew_ that he wasn’t alright at the moment.

At least they’d had the decency to come without Vision and that witch.

Vision was freaking her out. Apart from that he was the living reminder of Tony’s recent mistakes as well as everything that he’d lost. Hearing that thing that was clearly neither human nor machine yet still very much alive talk with Jarvis’s voice… it gave her the creeps.

It might sound strange, but she missed the sassy AI. Not as much as Tony did, though.

And the others might be ready to forgive and forget when it came to that Maximoff bitch, but Pepper wasn’t. That woman had manipulated Tony, had messed with his head, with his deepest fears and therefore got this whole mess rolling to begin with. But apart from her no one seemed to have drawn the same conclusions or they just didn’t care.

_Or they just don’t know. Do you really think he told them what happened?_

Blaming Tony was easy, yes. Ultron had been Tony’s idea. The whole mess his fault. But not his alone.

Not. His. Alone.

Didn’t they see that the guilt was eating him up? Didn’t they see…

“He looked tired earlier. Maybe he went to bed?” Sam mused.

That alone was proof that he was new to the team, that he barely new Tony at all. No, wherever Tony was, he was quite certainly not in bed – although he could definitely use a good night’s sleep.

Steve shook his head, true and honest concern shining in his eyes as he sat up straighter and frowned. “It’s possible. As far as I’ve seen he barely touched a drink this evening. I wanted to ask him if he’s feeling alright but Colonel Derrek interrupted me and then Tony was gone.”

“For someone so loud and conspicuous he can be a weasely little bastard,” Clint snorted, an appreciative grin on his lips.

Natasha rolled her eyes and gave him a short, little push with her elbow, barely perceivable yet it made him wince. “He never openly lets on but Sokovia is weighing heavily on him. Considering what happened last time there was a party here it’s no wonder he left early.”

Pepper’s shoulders slumped as part of her irritation dissipated. Maybe she’d been wrong about them. Too quick to judge in her protectiveness.

They noticed and they cared and they understood. Maybe they felt just as helpless as she did.

She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly while closing her eyes and rubbing the bridge of her nose. She was so damn tired. Not just exhausted from entertaining their guests and not just ready to fall asleep after a long and tiresome week. No, she was emotionally drained.

Was it too much to ask for things to get back to the way they’ve been?

She wanted Tony back. _Her_ Tony.

She wanted him to be here, to make some flippant comment, teasing his friends while pulling her close on the couch and playing absentmindedly with her hair. Or, even better, she wanted to snuggle against him in their bed with his arm around her and her hand on his chest, legs entwined and just sleeping. Or resting, quietly, just talking in hushed voices, making fun of some of the stranger guests they’d had the pleasure of entertaining this evening.

Something like that.

Oh God, she _missed_ that.

She missed _him_.

But he’d pulled back again, removed himself into solitude. Instead of seeking her out. Instead of confiding in her he was shutting her out _yet again_ and she was so damn afraid of losing him.

 _You’re the one thing I can’t live without_.

That’s what he’d said to her not so long ago. But was it still true?

The only thing she knew was that those words worked both ways.

No, she didn’t even want to think about it. Couldn’t handle it. Not now. Certainly not now.

So she pulled herself together and willed her focus back on something that she _could_ handle. Something that felt familiar. Something that didn’t fill her with dread.

Something like being angry.

Angry at Tony.

It wasn’t fair and she knew that, but it was so much easier to be pissed at him for something inconsequential as leaving her alone or forgetting her birthday instead of worrying about him because of the big and life-changing things.

“I’ll go and look for him,” Steve said and got up. He was the leader of the Avengers and a good guy, of course he felt responsible.

“I’m already on it,” another voice sounded from the doorway.

Pepper turned around and spotted Rhodey. He was still here? She’d lost track of him earlier and had thought he’d left together with the other Airforce officers. Obviously he hadn’t.

Of course he hadn’t.

He’d eyed Tony suspiciously the whole evening. He was worried just as she was. So of course he wouldn’t just leave.

“I already looked for him in his apartment, but no Tony, so I guess he’s in his workshop.”

Bruce sighed, surprisingly loud. “Again?” He took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. “He shouldn’t be up there all on his own. Not as tired and overworked as he is. I’ll go and talk to him.” With his hands on his knees he pushed himself up. “Something I should’ve done a lot sooner I guess,” Bruce mumbled.

A fond smile tugged at Pepper’s lips. Bruce was such a nice guy. And Tony’s friend. Their shared curiosity for everything even remotely sciency had led to an unlikely yet surprisingly easygoing friendship. One they were both in desperate need of.

“It’s okay,” Rhodey said, stopping the other man with a wave of his hand, “I’ve got this. It’s late anyway. Why don’t you call it a night?” He turned towards her with a reassuring smile and a nod towards the hallway with the elevator. “And I head up and see that I return that genius-idiot of yours to you. Just wait here, I’ll be back in a moment.”

Bruce seemed a bit miffed that he didn’t get his chance to talk with his friend but it only lasted for a second then he sighed. “Maybe you’re right. It _is_ quite late. And you know him much better than we do.”

Steve got up and placed his hand on the scientist’s shoulder. “We can talk to him tomorrow when he’s rested.”

Clint furrowed his brow. “You seriously planning on leaving already? Now? Sam just jumped out of the plane, in broad daylight and over an active warzone. I don’t know about you but I want to know the end of that story!”

Sam snorted and grinned as Steve and Bruce sat back down after a moment’s consideration.

Pepper rolled her shoulders and suppressed a yawn. She wasn’t in the mood for an old war story, no matter how amazing Sam was at telling stories. Or company in general, not after this exhausting evening. She only longed for a bed.

And maybe – ideally – for Tony.

“Alright, I call it a night, though. Rhodey?” She looked up and saw her friend at the other end of the couch, still rooted to the spot instead of on his way to the elevator. He tapped his fingers against the side of his thigh, an old habit that he only displayed when he was nervous or deep in thought. Most likely he tried to figure out how best to approach Tony.

“I’ll head upstairs. If you can pry him away from his toys send him there, if you can’t, tell him there’s no need to try and crawl into bed later. Night everyone!”

Curious eyes landed on her, taken aback by either her words or her bitter tone. She didn’t care. “Good night!” Some of them answered in carefully neutral voices.

She turned around, heading for the elevator, but Rhodey’s voice held her back. “Pepper, wait! Wouldn’t it be…”

He didn’t get any further than that.

The lights went out all of a sudden.

Startled she looked up towards the nearest lamp on instinct, but neither the lamp nor JA… FRIDAY offered any answers. Rustling and mumbling could be heard from the direction of the couches and Pepper was just about to ask the AI what was going on when the soft sounds of music filled the room. An unobtrusive piano accompanied by a gentle rhythm from drums.

She frowned.

She’d recognize that song everywhere. But what…

The lights went on all of a sudden, just a few of them, illuminating the little stage in the middle of the room where the band had played. And there, right behind one of the microphones stood Tony. Uncharacteristically insecure with his hands clasped behind his back.

Before she had the chance to process what she was seeing, before she could make sense of it or of the whispered “what the hell” next to her, he began to sing.

Tony Stark, billionaire, genius, playboy, philanthropist, Iron Man – _her Tony_ – started to _sing_. And not just every song. No, her favorite. Her absolute favorite song of all times. The one that had stayed with her ever since she’d listened to it again and again during Junior High when she’d had her first real crush. And although today she knew what the lyrics really meant and that it was far from being romantic it still filled her with that hopeful, desperate longing of a love-sick teenager.

Tony hated the song. Thought it was creepy. And yet…

“ _Every breath you take and every move you make-_ “

Her eyes grew big and her mouth gaped open. She couldn’t help it.

She’d had _no_ idea! No idea at all!

He could sing!

Damn, could that man sing!

How was it possible that she hadn’t known?

“ _Every bond you break, every step you take, I’ll be watching you_.”

Her eyes were fixed on him. Darted along the sharp lines of his black suit, over his dark hair, styled into the “unruly boyishness” that suited him so very well. In the end they came to rest on his face, on his almost cocky smile and on his expressive eyes that were fixed in her vague direction.

_The light! He can’t see me with that light shining in his face!_

“ _Every single day and every word you say, every game you play, every night you stay, I’ll be watching you._ ”

Pepper felt herself shake her head, unable to stop it. And unable to believe what was happening. But at the same time something warm and fuzzy settled in her chest and her lips pulled up into a stunned, hesitant smile, one that her hand rose to cover.

And hey, there was no way for her to _not_ smile. Not with Tony _singing_ for her.

_So you haven’t forgotten it after all!_

_You damn bastard! You made me think…_

She was moving before she knew what she was doing. She crossed the room in a daze, only focused on him and that amazing voice. Her hand was still covering her mouth as she stepped into the circle of light where he could see her. And she was rewarded with one of the most dazzling and honest smiles she’d ever seen on him.

Butterflies.

She had butterflies in her stomach. Actual butterflies. Like a teenager.

No one had ever done something like this for her. No one. And certainly not Tony.

The warmth inside her intensified, melting her from the inside out. Melting her heart.

“ _Oh, can’t you see?_ ” He cocked his head and grinned at her, then pulled his arms to his front and held them out towards her. “ _You belong to me!_ ” Then he gripped the microphone, scrunched up his face, pouring everything into his performance. “ _How my poor heart aches with every step you take._ ”

Her hands were shaking, vibrating softly against her mouth. She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and bit down on it. She had to. Otherwise there might have been tears. And she didn’t want to cry. She almost never cried. That was for more sentimental people than her, but this. _This_.

“ _Every move you make and every vow you break. Every smile you fake, every claim you stake, I’ll be watching you._ ”

Tony had planned a surprise for her. He’d remembered her birthday.

He’d _remembered_ her favorite song.

And he sang it himself. Without a doubt it would’ve been easy for him to get Sting to drop by and perform it just for her, but instead of acting like the eccentric billionaire that he was he’d chosen to _do it himself_.

There was a tweak in her belly, the manifestation of her anticipation. A kind of tense expectation, ready to turn into bliss. It was the same feeling she always had right before that part of the song. She loved that part. Loved the change in pace, the desperation, the _longing_.

But with Tony singing it was far more intense.

And he didn’t disappoint. Quite the contrary.

She huffed out quiet laughs. Disbelieving. And completely in awe.

“ _Since you’ve gone I’ve been lost without a trace, I dream at night, I can only see your face. I look around but it’s you I can’t replace. I feel so cold and I long for your embrace. I keep crying baby, baby, pleeeeaaaase._ ”

Her gaze never left his face. Even when he acted as if he were searching around the room for her or when he closed his arms around himself as if feeling cold. Her eyes never strayed from his face, glued to those dark orbs that always sought her out as well. So open, almost vulnerable and yet sure and never shy of a cheeky wink.

She loved that man!

 _God_ , how she loved him!

True, sometimes she wanted to strangle him or beat some sense into him, but in the end, without his infuriating stubbornness, without any of his flaws he wouldn’t be the man she’d fallen for.

And it was moments like these that she knew it was worth it. All the bad times, all their struggles, they paled and lost importance in the brilliant light of moments like these.

Tony hummed for a while before the lyrics set in again, just repeating themselves now. He was smiling, in between lines and sometimes even during them and he held her gaze and she held his. Entwined, linked.

Her heart was pounding in her chest, too fast for the rhythm of the song, but just in time with the flapping of butterfly wings. The warm fuzziness filled her completely now, made her almost woozy while at the same time she felt wide-awake. The pleasant buzz from the champagne earlier had been nice, but it had been nothing compared to this.

In a very strange way this felt like foreplay. The intense gaze, the love and adoration and wonder in his eyes, the gentle yet slightly rough caress of his voice. Maybe the thought wasn’t so strange after all…

“ _I’ll be watching you._ ”

His voice faded, shortly followed by the music itself.

Her panting breaths were obscenely loud in the following silence. Or was that just her imagination?

It wasn’t important.

Because the man she loved stood right in front of her, a big lop-sided grin on his face and something inherently cheeky and smart-aleck glinting in his dark eyes. “Better than the Christmas bunny, huh?”

And she laughed. The sheer ridiculousness of that comparison – _of that statement_ – made her shoulders shake. But somehow she still managed an answer, “That’s not hard to top, you know?”

Her legs moved on their own volition, the aches of her feet completely forgotten. He jumped down from the stage. The moment he was close enough she wrapped her hands around his head and pulled him in for a deep kiss. Pressing against him, breathing him in, tasting him.

She broke the kiss only reluctantly, leaning back a bit but staying close enough that their breaths mingled.

“I loved it!” she said, emphasizing every single word.

And she was rewarded with yet another one of his open, honest smiles. One of the rare ones that were only reserved for her and Rhodey. He closed the distance until their foreheads bumped against each other and his hands closed around her waist, keeping her close.

“Happy birthday, honey!”

She closed her eyes for a moment, absolutely content in the here and now, in his arms. Her fingers slipped down from the back of his head to absentmindedly caress the short hair at the nape of his neck. “I had no idea you could sing like that,” she finally said, her voice low.

“Good,” came the quiet but cocky reply.

Pepper opened her eyes again and leaned back, one eyebrow raised, questioning. Or better: demanding an explanation.

Tony simply chuckled. “Hey, that means that even after all these years there are still some things you _haven’t_ seen me doing.”

“That can’t be many.”

“Hey,” he exclaimed in mock indignation, “quite cheeky, aren’t we, Miss Potts?”

And just like that she leaned closer, resting her head against his shoulder, still a fond smile on her face. His embrace was warm and secure and everything she wanted. Her earlier anger seemed so far away and stupid now, her exhaustion wasn’t at the forefront of her mind anymore, not after a present like _that_. And even her worries were quiet.

With planning this behind her back, with practicing unnoticed so it would be a surprise it was no wonder he’d been distracted and distant these last weeks. He still loved her and he still wanted her. That had just been her imagination running wild and reading too much into too little.

God, she felt silly right now.

Silly, yes, but also exhilarated. And grounded. And absolutely content right where she was. This day had quite unexpectedly turned from one of her worst birthdays ever into one of the best, if not _the_ best.

“Speaking of things you haven’t seen me doing…”

Tony pulled back a bit and Pepper couldn’t help the frown that immediately creased her forehead at his tone. That uncertainty, that indecision, paired with the way he bit the left side of his lip and looked up at her through his lashes, like a boy who feared admitting whatever mischief he’d caused. And against her will she was instantly a tiny bit wary.

His hands were still at the back of her waist, holding her in place. He cleared his throat, took a breath and looked at her, _really_ looked at her.

“I messed up,” he started.

_And here it comes…_

She desperately tried not to sigh. The moment had been _so_ beautiful, even perfect, but Tony was still Tony after all.

“… so much lately. And I really, _really_ want to do this right. Us, I mean. I just- I can’t mess this up, Pepper. So- will you marry me?”

She blinked.

And then again.

_Did he really…???_

She stared at him, unable to comprehend his words. Or the whole situation in general. This wasn’t happening, right? Tony Stark, _the_ Tony Stark, _proposing_? No, she must have misheard. Or misinterpreted. Or…

Or was this a joke?

The mere thought made her heart clench painfully.

Still, her mind latched onto it. It was the far more realistic possibility after all.

It hurt. That he’d play with her like that. That he had no idea about boundaries, that…

He moved. Just a tiny shuffle.

Restless.

And then she saw it.

The nervous twitch around the corner of his lips. The uncertainty in his deep brown eyes that darted in minute movements across her face, trying to read her. Expectantly. And afraid.

_Oh my God!_

_OH. MY. GOD!_

_It’s not a joke._

_He means it. He really… oh my God!_

Her heart suddenly missed a beat and her body tried to compensate by breathing a bit faster. It didn’t help.

“Pep? Could you- say something? Maybe?” His voice shook.

She heard that he tried to make it sound light-hearted, maybe even funny, but it didn’t. It only sounded panicky.

_He proposed!_

_He wants…_

_He really…_

_Is that just a phase? A spur of the moment idea?_

She didn’t know what to say. Truly.

She’d never, _never_ thought about this. Marriage was just _so not_ Tony, it hadn’t crossed her mind. Not once. She loved him, of course she loved him.

But this wasn’t just a trip to Paris. This was…

_Oh my God!_

“Okay, you’re seriously starting to freak me out here.” He started fidgeting for real now, then he cringed and let go of her. “Shit, I messed it up. _Of course_ I messed it up. I forgot-“ he rummaged around the inside pockets of his suit, his movements too jerky to be considered casual, until he produced a small white box, “there, it’s not a real proposal without a ring, huh?” His laugh was shaky, nervous in a way she’d never seen with him.

This was just so surreal. Was this really happening? Was this a dream?

It had to be.

If this were real, Tony wouldn’t be a nervous wreck. Not her cocky, big-mouthed smartass Tony, right?

“Right. Too improvised, I get it. You’re a classy woman, you deserve the real thing. Okay, just- let me do this again, Pepper. Properly this time.“

He took one of her hands in his, his hand unusually cold. And sweaty. And now she couldn’t just see, but _feel_ him trembling.

_God, that look in his eyes!_

And then he went down on one knee and kissed her hand and she _just couldn’t think anymore_. _How the hell was she supposed to even breathe right now, let along think???_

He let her go, fumbled with the white box instead and licked his lips. “I’m the biggest idiot running around on this planet. I mean, hey, for someone who claims to be a genius it took me far too long to see what was right in front of me all this time. I love you, Pepper. And I already told you… you’re the _one_ thing that I can’t live without. I know it’s a lot I’m asking here, but- I’m sure, Pep. There will never be anyone else but you.” He huffed a laugh. She couldn’t possibly imagine why he’d be laughing right now. She felt anything but. Her heart was pounding and melting, all at the same time, desperately trying to grasp _what the hell was happening_.

“Of course there won’t. Where would I ever find anyone else who’s willing to put up with me? Huh?” His chuckle resounded through the room. Hollow and weak. And desperate. “So, will you marry me?”

The box clicked open.

To reveal a ring, of course.

A small band of gold, surprisingly unpretentious in its overall design. On top of it was a circular plate that held not one diamond but many, many small ones. It was unusual, but they caught the light in a truly beautiful way. Reflecting it in all different directions, tricking and misleading the eye with the effect of constant movement.

It even almost looked like there were some blue elements in it… no, there _were_. Soft, light blue stones amongst the others, formed into a triangle, a truly peculiar-

And just like that she found her voice again.

“An arc-reactor?” she asked, incredulous.

“Yes.”

“You’re proposing with a ring that looks like an _arc-reactor_? _Why_?”

She wasn’t sure why she was so miffed by this, but at least this was something tangible, something that was easier to deal with than answering that question.

_You know the answer already, Pepper!_

_You love him. All of him. And you can’t imagine a life without him._

_So why don’t you just say the word???_

She knew why. Because a part of her, albeit a small one, was still afraid that this was only temporary for him. That one day he’d wake up and be bored and go back to the life he’d led before.

 _Dammit_!

Yes, he had changed. But had he changed _that much_?

_Oh just shut the fuck up!_

With all her internal battle she’d almost missed his answer.

“Because you’re my arc reactor now.”

Images of her own hand deep inside his chest while changing his reactor sprung to her mind at once. As well as an argument over an omelet. A deathly still Tony inside his broken suit, lying on the roof of his own facility, the blue circle in his chest dark. There were memories of racing cars and lots of screaming. And hearing Natalie alias Natasha say that Tony wasn’t dying anymore…

“Is that supposed to be a compliment?” Maybe that came out a bit harsh. But that thing had almost killed him so many times…

He swallowed. There was a bead of sweat glistening at his hairline when he looked up at her. Calmer now. His smile a bit strained.

“It is. For years that reactor protected my heart. Kept it safe and whole. But then I could finally get rid of it, because now I’ve got you.”

_Oh my God!_

Her heart missed a beat. Or maybe two. And it became quite difficult all of a sudden to breathe around the lump that formed in her throat.

That was, undoubtedly, the sweetest and most romantic thing Tony – well, _anyone_ – had ever said to her.

And while her eyes burned and her lips pulled into a wavering, stunned smile, Tony averted his gaze. Not by much, but he didn’t look at her eyes anymore, had lowered his head instead, resigned. His smile seemed forced, unreal and fake like the one he hid behind for the press. And then she spotted it, the thing he tried to hide but couldn’t. Not from her.

Self-doubt.

She’d only ever seen that since Ultron. And she hated it. More than anything else! She hated to see it drain the life out of his eyes, she hated how his guilt wore him down and hollowed him out and dragged him deeper into that spiral of blame and self-hatred.

_No! Nonononono!_

Never in a thousand lives had she ever wanted to be the reason behind that look in his eyes. Never!

She took the box out of his hands, startling him, and she had to smile at the confused line between his eyebrows as she grabbed his hand and pulled him up and right into a fierce kiss. He wasn’t prepared and she didn’t care for finesse right now, so it became a sloppy clash of teeth and bumping noses until she found the right angle and put everything she had into it.

She might still be at a loss for words, but ever since that arc-reactor explanation her doubts had shut up – or maybe she’d grabbed them and thrown them out with force, who cared? Speechless or not there was no way she wouldn’t let him know what she was feeling. And that’s exactly what she put into the kiss. Her love. Her certainty. Her being sorry for taking so damn long to act.

She poured in everything she had and everything she was.

Tony pulled back nonetheless sooner or later. His eyes were roaming her face, searching with that glint of hope that made her heart ache. And his hands were suddenly holding her face, the rough, callused thumbs brushing against her cheeks, wiping at the moisture there.

_Wait, what?_

There were indeed tears. She hadn’t even noticed that she’d been crying.

“So- you crying and kissing me all the way to nirvana… I take it, that’s not too bad, right?” He pursed his lips in that sexy, cocksure way of his, although she could still see the uncertainty in his eyes.

She laughed and finally found her voice again. “Right,” she giggled -  actually _giggled_ , like a damn teenager. “And yes! I want to marry you! Of course I want to!”

There was so much more she wanted to tell him. That she loved him, that she couldn’t live without him as well, that she believed in him. That she hadn’t expected him to consider marriage. That she’d take him whatever way he wanted if it meant she’d be with him. But she couldn’t find the words. And they weren’t important. Not right now.

Not while this intoxicating cocktail of endorphins and whatnot was pulsing through her system.

Not when Tony looked at her like that. All glassy eyed and ear-splitting grin and just so deliriously happy.

But she would tell him. Later. Because he deserved to know. He _needed_ to know.

He took the box from her again and fumbled for a second, then put it away, the ring blinking between his fingers. Gently he took her hand in his and now it was hers that was trembling as he pushed the ring onto her ring finger.

It fit perfectly.

She raised her hand a bit, looking at it. The same and yet different. Maybe it wasn’t so much the ring that changed the appearance, maybe it was the meaning behind it. The history of years staring at her from her ring finger, promising her a colorful and certainly anything but boring future. It felt strange.

“Weird.” It slipped out, just as she examined her hand with the ring on it.

Because it _was_ weird.

There was an engagement ring on her finger.

She was _engaged_ now.

To Tony Stark.

Genius, billionaire, playboy – well, former playboy – philanthropist.

Iron Man. Avenger.

Pain in the ass. Hot mess.

 _Hers_.

A movement made her look up, just to see Tony shake his head. “No, it’s not weird!” There was no ounce of doubt in his voice, none at all.

And then he suddenly started laughing. His shoulders shaking as laughter lines sprang into existence all around his eyes and he was cracking up. Actually cracking up as if those words had been the best joke ev-

_Oh!_

And then she got it. Remembered adrenaline and a rooftop and explosions in the distance. And a kiss. Their very first kiss. Closely followed by just those lines. They’d only switched roles this time around.

She couldn’t help but grin. A stupid, silly grin. Way to broad and giddy and kind of doped. Simply put: insanely happy.

His hand closed around hers, caressing the ring on her finger as he leaned closer and pulled her in for a kiss.

Not the passionate, desperate kind from before. But a slow one. Sweet and tender and so full of love and adoration and pure joy.

“You two still look like two seals fighting over a grape!”

Pepper startled at the voice – and even more at the reminder that they weren’t alone in the room.

Tony rolled his eyes and turned into the vague direction of Rhodey’s voice that came out of the darkness behind their little circle of bright light. “Get lost!” he groaned, exasperated. “Seriously, get your own rooftop!”

“And miss the show? No chance!”

That wasn’t Rhodey. That was Clint.

She felt Tony flinch next to her, right before he tensed and froze up.

“FRIDAY, lights!”

The moment the words left his lips light flooded the room, mostly from indirect lighting and dimmed down a bit, but it was certainly more than enough to uncover the little group of people sitting around the couches with either wide eyes or big grins. Or sometimes both. Or just very smug expressions in the case of Clint and Natasha.

“Way to go, Stark! That was truly something!” Sam grinned with an appreciative nod.

“Indeed. Although surprisingly mushy for such a big playboy, huh?” Clint teased, waggling an eyebrow that was clearly intended to rile Tony up.

Natasha nudged him with her elbow, just as Steve and Bruce started speaking at the same time: “Congratulations!”

It was a bit overwhelming. Not their comments, no, but knowing that they’d been there all this time. That she’d completely forgotten about them and _they had seen and heard it all_.

And judging from Tony’s reaction that hadn’t been the plan. “Dammit Rhodey, you had one job. Just _one_! What was so hard about shooing them out and getting us some privacy here?”

Rhodey simply shrugged, torn between being sorry and being amused. “Man, I tried. But they wouldn’t leave.”

“Then why did you give the signal?” Tony fired back.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“The signal. THE signal.”

“I gave no signal!”

“Of course you did! You waved and Friday said-“

Now Rhodey rolled his eyes, increasingly testy. “I just waved my hand, dammit. It’s not my fault your AI can’t tell a simple “no need to do this”-wave apart from your pretty little “coast is clear”-wave!”

Before the argument – a completely unnecessary one – could escalate she tugged at Tony, wrapped her hand around his middle and leaned into his side so she could whisper into his ear, “You really planned this out, huh?”

He harrumphed. “Yeah. Turns out it just didn’t work out quite the way I intended.”

“It was perfect!” She knew this would probably get to his head sooner or later but she didn’t care. She kissed him on the cheek and was rewarded with a cheeky grin.

Mission accomplished.

She knew he wasn’t really pissed at Rhodey. But he was embarrassed and this was his way of hiding his vulnerability. That moment had been deeply emotional and intimate. He’d opened up his heart and had laid it bare for her, and just for her. He hadn’t intended for an audience.

Nevertheless, he’d get over it.

Rhodey was the first to come over and congratulate them with a tight hug and a variety of good wishes and snide comments. Within moments they found themselves over at the sitting area, surrounded by their friends and their congratulations and even more teasing. Especially from Clint. About Tony being a softy and a hidden romantic and one jibe in her direction about really making the poor man sweat with her silence. But it was all in good fun and she soon found herself sitting on the couch, heels on the floor and her feet curled beneath her. She was cuddled at Tony’s side. It had taken him a while but now he was relaxed, answering their gentle bantering just in kind while he’d curled one arm around her and his fingers were playing with the ring on her finger.

She’d never felt better.

It’s strange how the universe worked sometimes. Never in a million years would she’d expected this day to end like this and yet it felt right. So absolutely right.

The adrenaline was wearing off and the tiredness slowly got a hold again on her, yet she just couldn’t stop smiling. Just as she couldn’t take her hands off of Tony, touching and caressing whatever part of him was closest – and decent of course.

At least until Tony got up and held a hand out for her. “Come on, this party has gone on long enough. Let’s go to bed, Mrs. Stark.”

Pepper paused, somewhat shocked. Mrs. Stark. Somehow, that address made it all even more real than the ring on her finger.

Mrs. Stark.

“Wow, that… might take some getting used to…”

But of course Tony simply snorted at that and raised an eyebrow. “You think? You’re not the one who has to shake off images of your mother at that!”

**Author's Note:**

> A penny for your thoughts :)
> 
> And in case you want to hear the whole song sung by Robert Downey Jr., you'll find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_esxcy0P94


End file.
